- House nears vote on Russia sanctions bill named after late Sen. Lindsey Graham
Source: SFGate
“The House will vote Wednesday on a broad package of sanctions targeting Russian officials and key pillars of its economy as lawmakers look to deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin of the financial resources needed to wage the war against Ukraine. The bill is named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who spent more than a year working on it. If the House passes the bill, it would go to President Donald Trump to be signed into law. The legislation represents the most ambitious effort to support Ukraine since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and would break nearly two years of relative gridlock on the issue following a 2024 emergency aid package. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pushing for the bill’s passage and made a direct appeal to senators shortly before they passed it last month.” (09/16/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/house-nears-vote-on-russia-sanctions-bill-named-22434934.php
- Centenarians living in Japan exceed 100,000 for the first time
Source: Seattle Times
“The number of people aged 100 or older in Japan surpassed a record 100,000 this year, the latest government figures show, underscoring the country’s rapidly aging and declining population. The Health and Welfare Ministry statistics released Tuesday show Japan now has 107,677 centenarians, up 7,914 from the previous year and exceeding the 100,000 mark for the first time. Nearly 88% of them are women.” (09/16/26)
- EU opens door to unprecedented ‘associate member’ status for Canada amid US trade spat
Source: Fox Business
“European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday proposed opening the door for Canada to become the European Union’s first ‘associate member,’ a significant step that could bring Ottawa substantially closer to the bloc as its trade dispute with the U.S. shows no signs of abating. Speaking in Strasbourg during her annual State of the European Union address, von der Leyen addressed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was in the chamber, and called for a major expansion of economic, technological and security cooperation between Canada and the EU. … Earlier this week, Carney — who is scheduled to address the European Parliament on Thursday — said Canada was seeking a ‘unique alliance’ with the EU, but not membership.” (09/16/260
- Congo: Police attack protesters with chemical weapons
Source: ABC News
“Police in Congo fired tear gas Tuesday to disperse hundreds of people demonstrating against constitutional changes they said could allow President Félix Tshisekedi to seek a third term in office. The opposition coalition C64 organized demonstrations in the capital, Kinshasa, and several other cities, including Lubumbashi and Kindu in eastern Congo, despite restrictions on mass gatherings imposed due to the fast-spreading Ebola outbreak. The protest in Kinshasa drew hundreds of people and began peacefully, but was dispersed by police with tear gas and warning shots after protesters clashed with pro-government supporters.” (09/15/26)
- US businessman Adam Castillo deported from Myanmar after months in jail, state media says
Source: Associated Press
“Myanmar’s military-backed government has deported Adam Castillo, a U.S. businessman and former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, after three months in jail on what supporters say were trumped-up charges, state media reported Wednesday. State-run MRTV television said Castillo was flown out of the capital, Naypyitaw, earlier in the day, ‘in consideration of the friendly relations between Myanmar and the United States.’ The report said he had been charged with breach of trust over allegations he had violated the regulations of AmCham Myanmar. It did not say whether he had ever been brought to trial, or whether the charges had been dismissed. … Castillo, 40, was released into the custody of U.S. officials in Myanmar then flown to Bangkok, Thailand, and will soon return home to the U.S.” (09/16/26)
- Remaining supporting acts quit Ed Sheeran tour amid backlash over Macklemore ousting
Source: CBC News [Canadian state media]
“Hours after singer Ed Sheeran addressed the backlash over rapper Macklemore being ousted from his tour for pro-Palestinian comments onstage, his remaining supporting acts have all quit Sheeran’s tour. … After he put Macklemore’s removal solely on venues and promoters, supporting acts Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham, Beoga and Finneas announced that they were withdrawing from Sheeran’s tour to stand in solidarity with Palestinians — meaning the tour now has no openers. Sheeran said upcoming venues contacted him after his shows at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium earlier this month, saying they would pull his performances if Macklemore, 43, was not removed as his opening act, because of ‘how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance,’ the singer said.” (09/15/26)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/sheeran-macklemore-tour-9.7345034
- Jimmy Lai’s son pleads in Washington for his father’s release ahead of Xi’s US visit
Source: SFGate
“The son of imprisoned former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai appealed for his father’s release at a congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday, one week before Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit the U.S. Sebastien Lai urged his father’s release on humanitarian grounds at a hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. A Hong Kong court sentenced Lai to 20 years in prison in February following his conviction under a Beijing-imposed national security law. Lai’s daughter, Claire, did not appear at the hearing after being diagnosed with cancer. Her brother said she began chemotherapy in London last week. ‘Let Jimmy Lai come home to his family and let him sit beside his daughter in her hardest moment,’ he said, describing his father as ‘a 78-year-old man who has already suffered enough.'” (09/16/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/jimmy-lai-s-son-pleads-in-washington-for-his-22434860.php
- Trump regime approves $2.8 billion arms gift to genocidal Middle East regime
Source: NBC News
“The Trump administration plans to deliver powerful 2,000-pound bombs to Israel as part of an upcoming arms deal, weapons that prompted such concerns about the possibility of mass casualties in Gaza that the Biden administration paused their delivery two years ago. The $2.8 billion package includes 40,000 of the bombs, made up of 20,000 Mk84s and 20,000 BLU-117s, according to two U.S. officials and a person familiar with the plan who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss the package, which is not yet final. Congress has been informally notified about the pending deal, most of which is to be paid for with foreign military financing — in which U.S. taxpayer dollars are given to Israel to turn around and buy the weapons from the United States.” (09/15/26)
- Dog bites man: Republicans accuse Democratic fundraising giant ActBlue of fraudulent donation “cover-up”
Source: Fox News
“A Democrat fundraising giant used by the biggest players on the left is being accused of covering up the acceptance of fraudulent political donations and lying to Congress about its security standards. Congressional Republicans are providing an update on their investigation of ActBlue — a platform for campaigns to raise money that’s used by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, and the Democratic leaders of the House and Senate, among others — that alleges the company potentially accepted foreign contributions and concealed the evidence from the GOP’s probe. ActBlue has previously denied any wrongdoing.” (09/16/26)
- South Korea: Court orders North Korean regime to pay $32.5 million for blowing up office
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“A court in Seoul has ordered Pyongyang to pay roughly $32.5m for blowing up an office in North Korea in 2020 that was intended to foster better relations between the two neighbours. ‘The court has ruled the North should pay the South Korean government 44.6 billion won in damages,’ a spokeswoman for the Seoul Central District Court told the AFP news agency on Wednesday. The lawsuit over the destruction of the Inter-Korean Liaison Office marks the first time the South Korean government has sought damages directly from the North Korean state, media reports said.” (09/16/26)
- Nvidia chief rebuffs AI panic even as Democrats demand action
Source: SFGate
“California lawmakers are demanding Congress immediately pass artificial intelligence safety laws as panic grips much of the tech industry over fears of AI leading to human extinction. Reps. Sam Liccardo and George Whitesides, Democrats from California, co-signed a letter late Friday to House Speaker Mike Johnson urging the Republican leader to take immediate action on the ‘catastrophic risk’ that the new technology poses and requesting that Congress not leave the capital until a new AI safety measure is passed. The letter came just days after an Anthropic safety researcher resigned from the San Francisco company and warned that there’s a 10% chance AI could kill all humans within the next decade. The disclosure set off a wave of panic across the country. President Donald Trump and Johnson downplayed those fears over the weekend and emphasized that if American regulators slow down AI development, the U.S. could risk falling behind China.” (09/16/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/anthropic-congress-ai-panic-22431156.php
- US House committee votes to hold Epstein associate Leon Black in contempt
Source: United Press International
“The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform unanimously voted Tuesday to recommend that the full House hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas issued in its investigation of the federal government’s handling of the criminal cases against convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. … The GOP-led committee has been investigating Epstein since February 2025, and has sought to speak with Black, a longtime friend and client of the disgraced New York financier, believing he has information related to how Epstein and Maxwell tried to curry favor and exercise influence to protect their illegal activities. Black sat for a transcribed interview in June, but walked out about an hour into the interview after declining to answer questions concerning nondisclosure agreements.” (09/15/26)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/09/15/House-committee-Leon-Black-contempt/5691789526616/
- Saudi Arabia: Regime says it shot down a Houthi drone near Mecca
Source: CNN
“Saudi Arabia said it shot down a Houthi drone on the outskirts of Islam’s holiest city Mecca on Tuesday –– prompting swift regional condemnation of the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group. It’s the first time that the Houthis have targeted Mecca in almost a decade, since a ballistic missile attack was intercepted in 2017, according to Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led Coalition Forces. The Houthis quickly denied threatening Mecca, with military spokesman Yahya Saree saying early Wednesday that its targets were Saudi oil facilities and military bases ‘far removed from the holy places.'” (09/16/26)
https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/16/middleeast/saudi-arabia-houthis-mecca-attack-intl-hnk
- Major Cryptocurrencies Tumble As CLARITY Act Fails
Source: Forbes
“Major cryptocurrency assets slid Tuesday as the Senate failed to pass the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, which seeks to create a federal regulatory framework for digital assets and faces opposition from some Democrats who say the legislation’s provisions are too weak. The CLARITY Act, which needed 60 votes to pass the Senate, failed after a 49-50 vote was held. Bitcoin dropped 4.1% on Tuesday afternoon to around $75,000, falling to its lowest point in its last five days of trading. Ethereum fell over 5% to $2,397, also recording its lowest point in the same period. … The CLARITY Act will have to be reintroduced to Congress at a later date after failing Tuesday, meaning it is seriously unlikely it will be presented in front of lawmakers again before the end of the year as midterm elections approach.” (09/15/26)
- US House votes to end Iran war (again)
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“For a third time, the US House has voted to end the war in Iran, approving a war powers resolution that would halt President Donald Trump’s ability to continue military action without congressional approval. The roll call late Tuesday, 220-204, was similar to earlier efforts this summer, with a few more Republicans joining all Democrats voting to bring an end to the conflict. … Congress has tried repeatedly to alter the trajectory of the war against Iran, but efforts to limit the Trump administration’s military action remain a long shot so long as the president can fend off or veto the measures.” [editor’s note: Joint resolutions are binding and can’t be vetoed, and one has already passed; since the votes aren’t there to impeach and remove the crook, he’ll continue his crimes – TLK] (09/16/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/16/us-house-votes-to-end-iran-war-7-republicans-join-in-favour
- Massie launches push to impeach Hegseth
Source: Politico
“Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie on Tuesday introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, an extraordinary attempt by members of the president’s own party to oust a Pentagon chief. The articles are for high crimes and misdemeanors, including the war in Iran, the Trump administration’s boat strikes in the Caribbean and Hegseth’s alleged suppression of free speech in his fight with Democrats over their calls for troops to refuse illegal orders. Massie’s effort is unlikely to succeed in a GOP-controlled Congress. But the nature of the resolution means the House will be forced to vote on it this week, setting up a politically complicated vote for Republicans right before the midterm elections.” (09/15/26)
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/09/15/congress/massie-hegseth-impeachment-01077453
- FBI claims it disrupted Russian plot to carry out targeted killings on US soil
Source: WSMV 4 News
“The intelligence services of the Russian Federation are plotting to carry out targeted killings in the United States and in European nations supporting Ukraine, federal authorities said Tuesday as they announced charges against five people who remain at large. An indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court said a network of the intelligence services has paid and attempted to pay individuals in the United States and in other countries to surveil targets to be killed with plans to then kill them. … James C. Barnacle, Jr., head of New York’s FBI office, said the FBI disrupted the plans ‘through relentless work’ as members of the Russian Intelligence Services and their affiliates ‘conspired to intimidate, threaten, or murder people on U.S. soil and around the world.'” (09/15/26)
- China: Regime imposes new travel restrictions over tech security
Source: Deutsche Welle [German state media]
“Sweeping travel restrictions on Chinese citizens came into effect on Tuesday, including exit bans for people considered to have endangered China’s ‘industrial or technological security.’ The new exit-and-entry rules, which were passed in July, apply to citizens deemed to have violated technology import and export regulations, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence. The State Council in Beijing said the new rules were formulated to ‘safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests.’ The regulations apply not only to people within China but also to Chinese citizens deemed to have committed criminal acts abroad.” (09/15/26)
https://www.dw.com/en/china-tightens-travel-rules-over-tech-security/a-79270217
- Global bond yields hit 2008 highs, raising stakes for big borrowers
Source: Yahoo! Finance
“Government borrowing costs hit their highest since the 2008 financial crisis on Tuesday, with 10-year U.S. Treasury yields now above 5%, increasing pressure on heavily indebted borrowers that so far have been shielded by resilient economic growth. The average 10-year yield for the Group of Seven largest economies hit 4.285%, the highest since mid-2008 and a full percentage point above where it was prior to the start of the war in the Middle East. … The bond selloff has raised the cost for governments to borrow new money, but also left them with higher interest bills that siphon funds from social, defence and other programmes, which in turn raises questions as to the sustainability of their debt burdens.” (09/15/26)
https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/bond-selloff-drives-us-benchmark-073953494.html
- Eswatini: Two US regime personnel accidentally shot by soldiers
Source: KOCO 5 News
“Soldiers in the African nation of Eswatini accidentally shot two U.S. government personnel last week, the country’s government said. The U.S. personnel were shot during an anti-smuggling operation by the Eswatini army in a rural region in the northeast of the country late Friday, Eswatini’s government said in a statement late Monday. The Americans sustained ‘minor injuries’ and there was an investigation underway, Eswatini government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The Eswatini government didn’t immediately identify the U.S. personnel or say why they were present.” (09/15/26)
https://www.koco.com/article/eswatini-army-shoots-us-personnel-investigation/73740168
- Is Tribalism the Worst Idea in History?
Source: Mindset Shifts
by Barry Brownstein“Holly [Mathnerd] warns that social media magnifies tribal hatred. Having written many essays on the horrors of tribalism, I think she is spot on. We can go further. We won’t get to the roots of tribal hatred if we don’t assess cause and effect. Our inner decision to cherish our tribal beast creates the demand to express our hatred on social media. No matter what political or social side we are on, Holly’s observation applies: ‘You cannot defend the individual by changing which collective gets put in the defendant’s chair.'” (09/16/26)
https://mindsetshifts.substack.com/p/is-tribalism-the-worst-idea-in-history
- Put It in Your Own Backyard
Source: Law & Liberty
by Jeffrey Polet“NIMBYism is more than retrograde reaction—it is a democratic practice.” (09/16/26)
- Trump’s govt makes ‘treasonous’ claim of weapons shortages
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Ben Freeman“In the last two days, a pair of government reports confirmed what many outside analysts have claimed: the Iran war has been extraordinarily costly for the U.S. military and for the American public. … arlier this month, Trump claimed on Truth Social that the military has ‘virtually unlimited amounts of Mid to High Grade Ammunition.’ He called those who reported there were shortfalls ‘treasonous.'” (09/16/26)
- Paul Introduces Birthright Citizenship Amendment
Source: Jonathan Turley Blog
by Jonathan Turley“Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Constitution Day event at James Madison University about ‘Rage and the Republic’. and various constitutional issues. During the event, organized by the James Madison Center on Civic Engagement, one student asked me what I would change about the U.S. Constitution. I said that I would amend the Constitution to eliminate birthright citizenship, as have other nations who once followed this ill-considered practice. Well, Sen. Rand Paul (R., Kentucky) has wasted no time. He just reintroduced his bill to ban birthright citizenship. I have previously written about the possible need for such an amendment after the decision in Trump v. Barbara. With that decision, the matter now rests not with the court but with the country.” (09/16/26)
https://jonathanturley.org/2026/09/16/sen-paul-introduces-birthright-citizenship-amendment/
- The real reason people are mad at Sydney Sweeney’s new ad
Source: USA Today
by Ingrid Jacques“Sydney Sweeney’s new ad for sports betting app Novig has sparked backlash from athletes and critics alike. But the real issue isn’t the ad – it’s that she’s a registered Republican.” (09/16/26)
- As Walls Close In, Zelensky Lashes Out
Source: The American Conservative
by Andrew Day“Welcome to the barfing-in-the-neighbors’-bushes hangover of Ukraine’s ‘turning the tide’ exuberance this summer. Actually, the exuberance phase was short-lived, so we’ve been feeling the crapulence since at least mid-July, when President Volodymyr Zelensky axed the popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Days later, he fired Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and, one day after that, Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Andrii Hnatov. Wartime presidents don’t strike down their top military leaders when battlefield developments are coming up roses. … This Sunday, Zelensky slapped sanctions on his own former press secretary, Iulia Mendel, who has become one of his fiercest and most prominent critics. According to a presidential decree, Mendel spreads ‘Russian propaganda’ …. Not only will she face economic restrictions like asset freezes, but internet users within Ukraine will be blocked from accessing her social media accounts.” (09/16/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/as-walls-close-in-zelensky-lashes-out/
- Republicans Ditch ‘Free Markets’ For ‘Free Money’
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Nolan Denaro“How could it be, then, that the same party touting its credibility in the fight against big-government economic planning is also led by a president who is offering every American adult a free $5,000? Is this not an example of the very economic interventionism Republicans claim to oppose? This creates a clear bind for the Republicans. Are they for ‘free markets’ or ‘free handouts?'” (09/16/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/republicans-ditch-free-markets-for-free-money
- The Hidden Divide That Shapes Our Politics
Source: The American Prospect
by Chris Murphy“In my recent book, Crisis of the Common Good, I make the argument that our hyper-individualistic, market-obsessed culture has made us more isolated and less powerful. I think Donald Trump is a symptom of this spiritual unspooling. My book argues that happiness comes from a sense of connection and shared purpose with others, and that government should not outsource virtue or morality to private markets. I do not suggest the public sector should dictate one single version of ‘the good life’. I suggest it should instead seek, as an agent of the public will, to order our economy in a way that gives power and dignity to every actor in it, and our culture in a way that encourages communion and shared experience. The Argument’s Jerusalem Demsas, in her critique ‘No, Senator Murphy, I don’t want to join your cult,’ argues confidently for more or less a maintenance of the status quo.” (09/16/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/09/16/hidden-divide-that-shapes-our-politics/
- Why Trump really promised you $5,000
Source: Washington Post
by Theodore R Johnson“If the last 18 months are any guide, President Donald Trump is not going to send you $5,000. At last week’s two-night midterm convention in Dallas, he promised every adult citizen a ‘Trump dividend’ should Republicans win both houses of Congress in November. It pushes his running tab of unpaid cash pledges past $13,000 per person. On the first night, he described the payout as a profit-sharing distribution: ‘because our country is making so much money.’ During the second night, Trump morphed it into reparations for surviving Joe Biden’s presidency: ‘We went through hell.’ … Given Trump’s track record of broken promises, the offer itself is the point, not the payout — and it’s aimed squarely at his base. Rather than a proposal meant to persuade midterm swing voters or flip those who lean Democratic, the ‘Trump dividend’ mostly serves as a turnout incentive, gladly offering a payday for a vote on Election Tuesday.” (09/16/26)
- What kind of Politics is Consistent with Consent of the Governed?
Source: Freedom and Flourishing
by Winton Bates“I understand that the American revolutionaries saw election of representatives as the primary vehicle for consent. That view of consent appears to have much in common with the concept of ‘government legitimacy’ as described by modern political scientists who focus on procedural rules such as the existence of free and fair elections. It also appears to have a lot in common with the concept of ‘tacit consent’ as described by John Locke …. [Max] Borders argues that consent of the governed means ‘a real, contractual civil association that a sovereign person selects in a governance market’. I will outline his ideal model of consent after considering the case he makes that we should be concerned about consent.” (09/16/26)
https://www.freedomandflourishing.com/2026/09/what-kind-of-politics-is-consistent.html
- No USPS Rule in the 2026 Midterm
Source: Exiled Policy
by Jason Pye“For now, then, the administration’s effort to impose these requirements on ballot mail before November is effectively dead. The larger legal fight isn’t, and Kavanaugh’s concurrence is a pretty clear warning against treating Monday’s decision as a final Supreme Court judgment on the USPS’s authority. There will be plenty of time to litigate whether Congress actually gave the USPS the power it claims. What the administration doesn’t get to do is impose the rule first, potentially disrupt an election, and ask everyone to sort out whether it was legal after the ballots have been counted.” (09/15/26)
https://exiledpolicy.substack.com/p/no-usps-rule-in-the-2026-midterm
- Dario Amodei’s Brain Trust of Bad Ideas
Source: American Greatness
by Jordan Schachtel“Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei wants to shape the future of artificial intelligence—and, by extension, the future of civilization. Yet in doing so, he seeks input and advice from an ideologically uniform group of individuals and institutions. In a series of sprawling essays on his website, Amodei has outlined his expectations for a world transformed by powerful AI. His forecasts range from curing diseases and accelerating economic growth to creating catastrophic biological threats and destabilizing the balance of power between the United States and China. These essays are presented as the work of a sober-minded technologist trying to navigate humanity through an unprecedented transition. In the acknowledgments section, Amodei inadvertently reveals insight into the ideas forming his worldview.” (09/16/26)
https://amgreatness.com/2026/09/16/dario-amodeis-brain-trust-of-bad-ideas/
- The AI “Threat” is Replacing Covid and “Global Warming”
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Ryan McMaken“[L]ast Saturday, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, in an article titled ‘We Must Pace the Frontier,’ called for extensive government regulation of AI firms. Amodei insisted that, unless governments step in to control the AI industry, then there will be insufficient ‘guardrails’ to prevent ‘losing control of AI systems, misuse of AI for cyberattacks and bioterrorism, and serious economic disruption.’ … whenever we see a group of politically active billionaires agree that government should have more power, we should be alarmed, to say the least.” (09/15/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/ai-threat-replacing-covid-and-global-warming
- Violence is now a gendered issue
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Chapin Lenthall-Cleary“Acceptance of violence against speakers used to be a liberal thing. No longer.” (09/15/26)
https://expression.fire.org/p/violence-is-now-a-gendered-issue
- The Constitution Can’t Protect You If You Don’t Protect It
Source: Rutherford Institute
by John & Nisha Whitehead“Across the political spectrum, Americans continue to tolerate abuses of power so long as those abuses are carried out by the ‘right’ people, against the ‘wrong’ people, or in the name of some emergency deemed too important to question. That is how constitutional government dies. Not all at once. Not with the Constitution formally abolished or the Bill of Rights ripped from the National Archives. It dies by degrees: through executive power that expands while congressional authority withers; emergency powers that never quite disappear; wars waged with little regard for constitutional restraints; surveillance systems capable of tracking whole populations; federal agents empowered to operate with ever less accountability; military forces normalized on American streets; and courts that too often allow questions of standing, immunity and procedure to determine whether unconstitutional conduct will ever be confronted on its merits. Every such precedent makes the next abuse easier.” (09/15/26)
- Tech Authoritarian Doomsayers
Source: In These Times
by Miles Kampf-Lassin“In June 2024, investor David Sacks hosted a high-dollar fundraiser for then presidential candidate Donald Trump at his Pacific Heights mansion in San Francisco, bringing together the titans of Silicon Valley and venture capitalism to pledge their allegiance — and financial support — to the candidate promising to make their wildest tech-authoritarian dreams come true. The dinner party was orchestrated by then Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, who served as a point of contact between Sacks and Trump, the former real estate tycoon who had notoriously been less than friendly to Big Tech during his first term. This time, however, Trump reportedly struck a different tone, criticizing Bidenera regulations on the ascendant industries of crypto and artificial intelligence (AI), promising to lift them if elected.” (09/15/26)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/tech-trump-vance-crypto-artificial-intelligence-silicon-valley
- It’s No Surprise that Young Americans Are Going for Socialism
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger“Exclaiming against the upsurge in popularity for socialism, especially among young people, right-wingers wax eloquent about the virtues of America’s ‘capitalist’ system. By the same token, left-wingers vehemently denounce America’s ‘capitalist’ system. Notice the common denominator: Both right-wingers and left-wingers have absolutely no doubts that Americans live under a capitalist system.” (09/15/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/09/15/its-no-surprise-that-young-americans-are-going-for-socialism/
- On Black Markets
Source: Agorist Nexus
by Derek R Wills“Black markets are often dismissed with prejudice by the general population due to the state’s conditioning that they are inherently immoral, unethical, and evil. Even when presented with evidence of the state’s hand as the root cause of violent outcomes — such as the prime example of alcohol prohibition — the average person continues the misguided belief that malum prohibitum is still a justifiable excuse for the state’s use of force. After all, if the legislature declares a voluntary exchange illegal, then the exchange itself somehow becomes immoral, and the state’s guns become virtuous. Black markets are condemned by habit, not by reason. The average mind has been trained to recoil at the term and to associate unlicensed commerce with violence, chaos, and predation. This is not only backwards but objectively false.” (09/15/26)
- Get the Flock Out of Law Enforcement!
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp‘The biggest reason to oppose use of ALPRs is that they create an ongoing, persistent, nationwide web of warrantless search and surveillance that encompasses everyone who drives, without probable cause to believe that those drivers have committed particular crimes or even that those particular crimes have actually occurred. That’s something the government isn’t supposed to be able to do. It’s also something the government doesn’t NEED to do.” (09/15/26)
- The Crippling Effects of Unnecessary War
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ron Paul“President Trump has justified tanking the US economy by claiming the attack on Iran was essential because they were about to get a nuclear weapon. Our intelligence community disagreed, but he refused to listen and took his cue from Netanyahu instead. It turns out Iran actually does have a ‘nuclear weapon.’ That weapon is the ability to control the world’s oil flows at a margin high enough to cripple the economies of any country seeking to conquer it.” (09/15/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/paul/2026/09/14/the-crippling-effects-of-unnecessary-war
- Don’t succumb to the great AI panic
Source: spiked
by Frank Furedi“I have studied scaremongering and the culture of fear for almost three decades. It’s clear to me that the current AI doomsday narrative recycles several older panics simultaneously. Just as with the invention of the nuclear bomb, humanity feared an invention it could not control. When computers and the internet were created, we feared technological displacement. And there is the older philosophical fear that humanity’s own intelligence could be the source of its undoing. Each time, a rational assessment of the potential risks is shoved aside in favour of a narrative of an impending apocalypse. Yet when it comes to AI, I have found the evolution of this carefully staged exercise in scaremongering different in some respects.” (09/15/26)
- Beefsteak Socialists? Left and Right Are Competing to Control the Economy
Source: The Daily Economy
by Vincent Geloso“On the right, the postliberal right or ‘beefsteak socialists’ (brownish on the outside, red on the inside) propose to use tariffs as devices for reorganizing industries, promoting civic virtues, and protecting workers from ‘globalists.’ … On the left, the Democratic Socialists of America are no longer a mere ragtag bunch of campus activists. They have great electoral visibility and competitiveness. … Normally, we could dismiss them all as cranks on the margin. However, the problem is that their views and policy proposals are frequently advanced in public.” (09/15/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/left-and-right-are-competing-to-control-the-economy/
- California’s killjoy bureaucracy crushing state’s rebel spirit & freedom
Source: Fox News
by Steve Hilton“California should be the most fun place in America. Look at what we have. Beaches, lakes, mountains, parks, incredible weather, great food and music, and people from every part of the world. It should be almost impossible to make California boring. But the politicians and bureaucrats who run our state are doing their best! California was not built by killjoys. It became the world’s great magnet for artists, inventors, rebels and misfits because this was the place you came to create, experiment and live freely. Try doing something fun today. Want to put on a band at a small venue? You can end up dealing with separate rules for entertainment, dancing, sound, alcohol and zoning. Want to organize a block party? Get ready to deal with police, fire, health, public works and alcohol officials.” (09/15/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/californias-killjoy-bureaucracy-killing-states-rebel-spirit-freedom
- Beware Contrived Scares and False-Flags
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Thomas Karat“This is the ordinary grammar of attribution in the sabotage era. A government states that its services and their partners have reached a judgement, allied governments affirm the judgement, the proof stays classified; and the citizen is invited to supply the trust that the missing evidence would otherwise earn. It may be that the classified material is overwhelming. It may be that it is thin. The structure is identical either way, which is precisely the problem. A public asked to accept an attribution on faith has no way to tell a strong case from a convenient one.” (09/15/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/beware-contrived-scares-and-false-flags
- Paying their fair share
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Madsen Pirie“In 1978-9, before the election of Margaret Thatcher, the top rate of UK income tax was 83%, and any income from investment was called ‘unearned income’ and had a 15% surcharge added, giving a top tax rate of 98%. At that time, the top 1% of taxpayers contributed 11% of income tax revenue, and the top 10% contributed 35%. Today the top rate of income tax is 45%. Now, using the most recently published data for the 2023-2024 tax year, the top 1% of taxpayers paid 28-29% of all income tax, and the top 10% of taxpayers paid 59-60% of all income tax. … When people talk of having rich pay their fair share, I imagine very few of them have any idea of what share ‘the rich’ are already paying. If the top 10% paying 60% of the total is not a fair share, perhaps we should ask them what figure they would consider fair?” (09/15/26)
- Gandhi is Out, Mangione is In: Political Violence is in Vogue in America
Source: Jonathan Turley
by Jonathan Turley“Across the country, a chilling shift is occurring. Political violence has become a twisted form of virtue signaling. Mahatma Gandhi is out and Luigi Mangione is in. For an increasing number of young people, nothing signals your values like a willingness to kill others for them. For decades, being nonviolent has been the touchstone for many on the left. Something is changing. On my campus and others around the country, students are rationalizing violence and even idolizing assassins. A recent Emerson College poll shows that 4 out of 10 voters between the ages of 18-29 (39%) view Mangione’s role in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as ‘acceptable’ or ‘somewhat acceptable’. Other polls show a troubling number of liberal voters consider political violence justified, including polls showing 40% of young people embracing political violence in some circumstances.” (09/15/26)
- Solving the Conundrum of Status Competition
Source: The Dispatch
by Marian L Tupy“When prosperous societies educate more people than prestige systems can absorb, some turn against the source of that prosperity.” (09/15/26)
https://thedispatch.com/article/status-competition-elites-democratic-socialists/
- Hollywood Loves the Talarico “Equal Time” Scam
Source: Town Hall
by Derek Hunter“Ever notice how leftists routinely rally around people and things that the general public simply has no interest in, seemingly in the hope of forcing whatever that person or thing is to become popular? It might work for a short while (think Labubu, the ugly creatures that look like a cross between a monkey and bad dentistry that blew up for a minute last year) but reality has a funny way of insisting on itself and trends fade. The same thing happens in politics, as Hollywood leftists love elevating people who could easily sell out a Beverly Hills fundraiser for millions of dollars, but could easily walk unrecognized through a mall anywhere else in the world.” (09/15/26)
- Understanding Entrepreneurship Has Major Implications for Economic Analysis
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Per Bylund“What are the implications for economics of recognizing entrepreneurship? They are vast. Modern/mainstream economics is, to a great extent, the outcome of expunging the entrepreneur and forcing an entrepreneurless, mechanistic view onto the economy. This facilitates the use of mathematical analysis and quantitative predictions, but these will always be wrong to the extent that there is entrepreneurship. In a sense, mainstream economics is the science of a planned or plannable economy. And the basic models even assume that there is perfect information.” (09/15/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/understanding-entrepreneurship-has-major-implications-economic-analysis
- Macklemore’s Tour Cancellation Shows Why Celebrities Don’t Criticize Israel
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone“Macklemore has been removed from the duration of a tour with Ed Sheeran for saying ‘Free Palestine’ and criticizing Israel’s genocidal atrocities in Gaza. In an eloquent statement posted on social media, Macklemore said he was told by Sheeran that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft had barred him from the Gillette Stadium and coordinated with other stadium owners on Sheeran’s tour to follow suit. Robert Kraft has a net worth of some $15 billion. He was once publicly handed a trophy by Benjamin Netanyahu honoring his commitment to the Zionist project …. Macklemore said Sheeran defended his decision to comply with Kraft’s demand by telling him that ‘the words ‘Free Palestine’ and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people.’ Which really says a lot about the detached celebrity cloud that Sheeran has been living on.” (09/15/26)
- Japan’s Reflationist Bet Is Running Out of Road
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott“On Monday, September 7, in Tokyo, an economist who has spent a year arguing that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) should wait to hike interest rates published a note saying it no longer can. Takuji Aida, who advises Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, sits on her flagship growth-strategy panel, and 10 months ago he warned that a December rate rise would be quite risky. He now expects a rate rise from 1% on September 18, followed by three more rate hikes after that. Aida’s forecast is, in itself, unremarkable: markets seem prepared for such a shift, having nearly fully priced a quarter-point move to 1.25%, the highest rate the BoJ has risen to since 1995. What is remarkable is the source of the rise.” (09/15/26)
https://fee.org/articles/japans-reflationist-bet-is-running-out-of-road/
- The Importance of Being Indebted
Source: Law & Liberty
by Theodore Dalrymple“The problem with excessive borrowing is easy to see but difficult to solve, and not in one country alone. The former prime minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, put it best when he said, ‘We all know what to do, but we don’t know how to get re-elected once we have done it.’ (Not that Luxembourg has the indebtedness problem, for tax havens will always attract money as jam attracts wasps). If one takes Juncker’s remark seriously, which I think that one should, it points to a problem with the current form of democracy itself, and perhaps even of human character. Bribery of the population has become a powerful political argument or tool.” (09/15/26)
- Could You Get It If You Were Rich?
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan“One common complaint about markets is that profit-maximization leads to low-quality products. The populist version is just, ‘They cut corners to save money.’ But the populist version doesn’t explain why firms don’t offer a full menu of price-quality combinations. Firms could just offer ‘copper,’ ‘silver,’ ‘gold,’ and ‘platinum’ quality levels, with suitable upcharges for each quality tier. Textbook asymmetric information models have a response. Namely: While sellers know what quality level they’re producing, customers can’t easily tell. So while they might be happy to pay $500 extra for a product that costs $400 extra to produce, unregulated businesses will try to take advantage of their cluelessness.” (09/15/26)
- The Cocooning Racket Needs to End
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Jeffrey A Tucker“Cocooning is different from nest building, which is a normal sense of wanting time to bond and learn and care. This is different. It is a pharmacological innovation that implies that the basic immune system is deeply flawed without the injection of industrial products and therefore a newborn can only be around other maximally injected people. The Covid and flu shots are known to register negative efficacy. None of these shots can prevent transmission, an indisputable fact. Moreover, every pharmaceutical carries risks. Four at once carries more risk than one. In effect, the new mother is exercising soft power, blackmailing her family by denying joy to them unless they give money to the shotmakers.” (09/15/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/the-cocooning-racket-needs-to-end/
- How Elon Musk can unlock a Russia-Ukraine energy truce, and help save lives
Source: New York Post
by John Hardie & Mark Montgomery“Russia and Ukraine have ‘agreed’ not to strike each other’s energy infrastructure, President Donald Trump asserted Monday — perhaps aiming to accelerate a deal that reportedly remains under negotiation and which Moscow has previously resisted. While Kyiv quickly expressed readiness for an energy truce, the Kremlin has remained conspicuously silent. It’s not hard to guess why. Vladimir Putin knows that Ukraine, short on air defenses, is staring down the barrel of its hardest winter yet — and he wants to exploit that vulnerability. But there’s a way to blunt the Russian bombardment, and improve diplomacy’s chances in the process. Ukraine, unable to intercept enough Russian ‘arrows’, should be permitted to use the Starlink satellite internet service to take out the ‘archers’ inside Russia. Despite Trump’s efforts to revive peace talks by dispatching envoys to Moscow and Kyiv earlier this month, Putin appears determined to continue fighting.” (09/15/26)
- Homeschool Workshop, 09/16/26
Source: Homeschool Workshop
“We Built Stilts With My 9-Year-Old (Perfect First Project).” (09/16/26)
https://rumble.com/v7fkri0-we-built-stilts-with-my-9-year-old-perfect-first-project.html
- The Daily, 09/16/26
Source: New York Times
“48 Days Until the Midterms: Is a Blue Wave Coming?” (09/16/26)
- The Fifth Column, episode 575
Source: The Fifth Column
“AI Might Kill Us. Here’s Why It Matters: w/ Jim VandeHei.” (09/16/26)
https://www.wethefifth.com/p/ai-might-kill-us-heres-why-it-matters
- Ron Paul Liberty Report, 09/16/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Smackdown! Massie Files Impeachment Charges On Hegseth!” (09/16/26)
- The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 09/16/26
Source: The New Republic
“Trump Rages Openly at Midterm Woes as His Worst Poll Yet Lands Hard.” (09/16/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/215473/trump-rages-openly-midterm-woes-worst-poll-yet-lands-hard
- Rising, 09/16/26
Source: The Hill
“Niall Stanage gives his notes on President Trump continuing to push for adding his name to the Kennedy Center.” (09/16/26)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/6083815-rising-september-16-2026/
- Parallax Views w/ JG Michael, 09/16/26
Source: Parallax Views w/ JG Michael
“The Empire of Lies: Deep State, Endless War & the Cost of Empire w/ Charles Goyette.” (09/16/26)
- The Headlines, 09/16/26
Source: New York Times
“Fuel Riots Spread Around the World, and Trump Approves $2.8 Billion Arms Sale to Israel.” (09/16/26)
- Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 09/15/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Massie Launches Effort To Impeach Hegseth, Trump To Give Israel Massive Bomb Shipment, and More.” (09/15/26)
- Politico Playbook Audio Briefing, 09/16/26
Source: Politico
“A turning point on AI.” (09/16/26)
- Free Speech Unmuted, 09/15/26
Source: Hoover Institution
“Spoiler Alert: Can You Get Sued For Revealing A Plot Point? | Eugene Volokh and Jane Bambauer.” (09/15/26)
- Politics Politics Politics, 09/15/26
Source: Politics Politics Politics
“Ohio Governor Ads Get Spicy! Crypto, Congress, and Campaigning for President (with Tim Ryan).” (09/15/26)
https://www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/p/ohio-governor-ads-get-spicy-crypto
- Capital Record, episode 322
Source: National Review
“AI Is Slowing Down to Find Itself.” (09/15/26)
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/ai-is-slowing-down-to-find-itself/
- Trump Watch, 09/15/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“Trump’s Free $5,000 Dividend.” (09/15/26)
- Law & Liberty Podcast, 09/15/26
Source: Law & Liberty
“The Fourteenth Amendment is at the heart of many of the most controversial issues that will land before the Supreme Court today. In his new book, David Upham argues that many of the legal theories about it are not deeply rooted enough in the history or text of the amendment itself.” (09/15/26)
https://lawliberty.org/podcast/the-official-fourteenth-amendment/
- The Bryan Hyde Show, 09/15/26
Source: The Bryan Hyde Show
“With all the bad news swirling around us, it’s easy to forget what an amazing world we live in. Paul Rosenberg’s gentle reminder not to discount the future, is a message many of us sorely need to hear.” (09/15/26)
- Rising, 09/15/26
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave gives his radar on President Trump taking a stand against excessive regulation of AI, as more lawmakers have called for restrictions and moratoriums.” (09/15/26)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/6083814-rising-september-15-2026/
- Ron Paul Liberty Report, 09/15/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Zelensky Hits Russian Diesel Despite Trump’s Warning.” (09/15/26)
- The Good Fight, 09/15/26
Source: Yascha Mounk
“Jacob Weisberg on the Contagion of Cowardice.” (09/15/26)
- The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 09/15/26
Source: The New Republic
“Trump’s Angry Tirades on AI Accidentally Wreck GOP’s Midterm Strategy.” (09/15/26)